Electric starter for automobile-engines.



A. w, SMITH. I v ELECTRIC STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.20. I915.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIUE.

ALBERT W. SMITH, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ELECTRIC STARTER FOR- AUTOMOBILE-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Jan.25, 1916.

Application filed November 20, 1915. Serial misuse.

- and reliable high speed starter; tothis end my invention consists, first, in movably mounting the starter with relation to the fly wheel; second, in providing therefor a frictional driving pinion in operative relation with the fly whel; and, third, in providing therefor a yokeless field magnet in magnetic relation with the fly wheel.

The drawings show my invention as applied to the fly wheel of an automobile engine; presenting an end View in Figure 1,

and a sectional view in Fig. 2. v

1 is the engine fly wheel, to the casing 2 of which the starter is pivoted at 3, and on which its free end is supported by a rubber cushion 4 fastened to the starter at 5. The

.starter is formed of the armature 6, the field V armature 6, and poles 14, presented to the fly wheel 1, which forms the field yoke for the starter; the cores 7 are magnetized by the series field coils 15, the, inner ends,of which connect with the holders l1, and the outer ends 16 of which form the terminals of the starter.

The bearing brackets 8, in addition to journaling the armature and driving pinion ofthe starter, serve also as non-magnetic supports, to hold the cores 7' in position; to this-end they are formed of strong bronze castings, and-firmly bolted on at 17. The driving pinion 9 is formed integrally with its trunnions 18 of steel, and its face is knurled as shown at 19, after which it is hardened; the advantage of a knurled pinion is that it forms shallow knurled depressions on the fly wheel when in use,.thus;pre-.

venting slippage of the pinion, from the presence of oil or dirt on the fly wheel. It

will be seen from Fig. 1 that the pinion 9 projects slightly inward from the faces of the fly Wheel poles 14, between which it is located; thus acting, when in contact with the fly wheel, to maintain a small running clearance between the poles and fly wheel. The sprocket 20 on the armature shaft, and sprocket 21 on the pinion shaft, together with the drive chain 22 connecting them,

form a simple transmission and reduction gear for the starter. It will be seen that a high speed ratio can be employed between the pinion 9 and the fly wheel, and also be- .tween the armature and pinion 9; thus enabling the use of a high speed starter, of small dimensions, light weight, and low cost.

When the starter is idle the cushion 4 serves to hold it in the retracted position shown in Fig. 1, with the driving pinion 9 just clear of the fly wheel.

When the starter is in use the fly wheel 1 conducts its field flux, as shown at 23; a powerful magnetic attraction then exists between the starter and fly wheel; acting to pull the starter toward the fly wheel, and to force its driving pinion into contact therewith; the starter then drives the engine at the required starting speed'until started, after; which its circuit is opened, andthe starter resumes its retracted position by the action of cushion 4c.

The advantages of my invention over other starters are first, it saves the cost of a toothed gear on the fly wheel; second, it enables the use of a high speed starter, of small dimensions, light weight, and low cost; and, third, it enables the starter to be mount ed directly on the fly wheel casing, thus avoiding the crowding of the ,other equipment of the engine.

Having now fully described my invention, I desire to state that the same is not limited to the exact means shown and de scribed, as these can be modified without departure from the spirit of the invention.

What I, therefore, claim as my invention is v I 1. Ina fly wheel starter, movaloly mounted a with relation to the en 'ne fly wheel, in combination, a yokeless eld magnet, in magnetic relation with said fly wheel; a frictional driving pinion, in operative relation with said fly wheel; an armature operatively connected with said driving pinion; and non-magnetic supports for said yokeless field magnet, forming bearings for said driving pinion and armature; said yokeless field magnet acting, when the starter is in use, to pull it toward said fly wheel, and to force its driving pinion into engagement therewith; and retracting means for retaining the starter, when idle, away from said fly wheel. v

2. In a fly wheel starter movably mounted with relation to the engine fly wheel, in combination, a yokeless field magnet, formed of two magnetically separate cores, having auxiliary poles shaped to conform to the engine fly wheel; a frictional driving pinion, in operative relation with said fly wheel; an armature operatively connected with said driving pinion; and non-magnetic supports for said yokeless field magnet, forming bearings for Said driving pinion and armature; said yokeless field magnet acting, when the starter is in use, to pull it toward said fly wheel, and to force its driving pinion into engagement therewith; and retracting means for retaining the starter, when idle, away from said fly wheel.

3. In a fly wheel starter movably mounted with relation to the engine fly wheel, in combination, a yokeless field magnet, formed of two magnetically separate cores, having auxiliary poles shaped to conform to the engine fly wheel; a frictional driving pinion, in operative relation with said fly wheel, said driving pinion having knurling teeth, acting to form a knurling on the fly wheel when in use; an armature operatively connected with said driving pinion; and non-magnetic supports for said yokeless field magnet, forming bearings for said driving pinion and armature; said yokeless field magnet acting, when the starter is in use, to pull it toward said fly wheel, and to force its driving pinion into engagement therewith; and retracting means for retaining the starter, when idle, away from said fly wheel.

ALBERT WV. SMITH. WVitnesses RAY Cnns'rnn, 7 CHARLES BEAVERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

